Marian Anderson Event Performers

FRED REDD

Fredrick Redd, baritone, was described in London's Opera Now magazine as being "a compelling vocal actor" in the title role of the Off-Broadway revival of The Emperor Jones and noticed in the New York Times as "a baritone with a sizable instrument". Fredrick has performed with many operas and orchestras throughout the United States. In 2002, Fredrick made his New York City Opera debut in the Emmy nominated "Live From Lincoln Center Telecast" of Gershwin's Porgy & Bess. In May of 2003, Fredrick made his Carnegie Hall debut as the baritone soloist in Orff's Carmina Burana with the New England Symphonic Ensemble. August of 2003, marked Fredrick's National Radio Broadcast of his solo recital in Chicago hosted by the International Music Foundation and broadcast live over WFMT-FM 98.7 from the Chicago Cultural Center. This year, Fredrick became a Finalist in the 2004 Caruso International Voice Competition. Other appearances in the New York City area include Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall, productions in Central Park, recitals in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and Off-Broadway.

MARILYN MOORE-BROWN

Soprano Marilyn Moore-Brown's career has taken her to the world's great opera houses and concert halls.  Operatic appearances have included engagements with the New York City Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, the Philadelphia Opera Company and Opera Ebony.  Orchestral engagements have included performances with the National Symphony, The Charlotte Symphony, the Piedmont Triad Symphony and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops Orchestra.  Equally committed to oratorio, chamber music and art song, Ms. Moore-Brown possesses a richly varied repertoire that includes solo appearances with the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, Princeton Pro Musica, the New York Choral Society, the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington, DC, The American Repertory Ballet Company, the Philadelphia Singers and the Oratorio Society of Charlotte, North Carolina.  In the fall of 2002 Ms. Moore-Brown appeared with the New York Choral Society in a concert version of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with the Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. 

CHERYL HILL

Cheryl Hill's soprano voice has been described as "a warm round sound without loosing agility or breath control" by the News Times; she is a solid and versatile performer. At home in the lyric coloratura repertoire as well as bel canto and oratorio roles, Cheryl brings a wide variety of performance experience to the stage including numerous concerts of operas & operatic arias such as Mozart's Don Giovanni, Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, Bizet's Carmen, Verdi's Rigoletto. Oratorio, and sacred works include Mozart's Requiem, Vivaldi's Gloria, Schubert's Mass in G, Britten's Ceremony of Carols, Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ, Bach's Magnificat, & Cantata 29. Cheryl's recent performances have included Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro,with the NY Concert Touring Opera, Bronx Festival of Opera, Hudson Opera.

Originally from Raleigh NC and raised in Danbury CT, Cheryl has been a crowd-pleaser for audiences throughout the Northeast bringing roles to life for Danbury Opera, Connecticut Opera Alliance, NY Concert Opera Touring Co, Bronx Festival of Opera & Hudson Opera, Voci Angeli of New York, FGH Sextet of Connecticut, & the Newtown Choral Society. Locally, Ms. Hill has sung leading roles with the Danbury Symphony Orchestra, the Danbury Concert Chorus, the Westchester Chorale, and the Greenwich Community Chorus. Ms. Hill was chosen as the soloist for the dedication for the Marian Anderson recital Hall.

BARRON COLEMAN

American tenor Barron Coleman has performed in the best opera theaters in the world. He has entertained audiences from Milan and Paris to Sydney and Japan. A native son of the lone star state, he also has many important national debuts to his credit including Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera and Dallas Opera. Mr. Coleman spent 2000-2002 in Barcelona singing at the prestigious Liceu, lending his voice to the roles of the messenger in AIDA, le premier Philistin in Sampson et Dalila and Maintop in Billy Bud. During the fall of 2003, Mr. Coleman had the distinct pleasure of singing his first Zarzuela in a new production of the Spanish favorite Luisa Fernanda by Toroba with Los Amigos de la Zarzuela in New York City. Mostly recently, Mr. Coleman returned to the NY concert stage singing revivals of Revelations and Rainbow with the American's leading dance company Alvin Ailey. Mr. Coleman's repertoire choices stretch from the title role in Monteverdi's Orfeo to the demanding role of Tony in Henze's masterpiece Elergy for Young Lovers.

MAESTRO STEVEN CRAWFORD

Maestro Steven Crawford recently completed his fifth season as a conductor for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.  Upcoming performances include Puccini's Madam Butterfly in the Met's 2004 Summer in the Parks series, and Gounod's Faust with Veronica Villaroel, Roberto Alagna, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ren, Pape in the Met's 2004-2005 Season.  In past seasons he has conducted La Boheme and Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, both of which were featured in the Met's international radio broadcast series, as well as revivals of Turadot, Carmen, Il Trovatore and Ariadne auf Naxos.  In Connecticut, Maestro Crawford, serves as Music Director of the Intermezzo Young Artists Development Program in Hartford.

WENDY GERBIER

Wendy Gerbier, a Mezzo-soprano soloist moved to Stamford in the 1990's and became the alto section leader for the choir at the First Congregational Church.  It was here that she studied voice with Michelle Abraham and now continues to study with accomplished soloist, Betty Jones and Yale University voice coach, Eric Trudel.  While at church Wendy became a mezzo-soprano soloist in Broadway Magic where she has performed songs and arias from Porgy & Bess, Chicago, Showboat, and West Side Story.  As a result of her talent and growth as a singer she joined the Connecticut Grand Opera.  She was a soloist in the Rich Forum's African American Series (The Backstreet Beat) in Stamford, CT.  Recently she performed the Verdi Requiem at Carnegie Hall with the New York Grand Opera and the Mozart Requiem with the First Congregational Church Choir.  She is currently a singer/songwriter working on her own album, where she performs her own original compositions in classical, jazz, and rhythm & blues.